Nightingale
by Gothix-11
Summary: "The voice on an angel? No. She is my nightingale. An angel cannot be held in a cage as she can." King Sasuke heard her voice and fell in love. He saw her face and fell in lust. Sasuke bought her but took her from Naruto. He stole her freedom and claimed the victor. In this bargain... Sasuke is only one gaining anything by stealing it all away. SasuKoto
1. Chapter 1

**One: Bought or Stolen**

It was a warm and breezy day in the middle of spring. The Cherry Blossoms were in full bloom and they sprinkled the stone roads that were crowded with merchants and customers. A pair of cousins walked along side one another down these stone streets.

"You finally got a job?!" Koto, a young human girl with eyes that sparkle, asked her cousin, Naruto.

"Yeah! I'm training people in a dojo. It's going to be a lot of fun, you know!" Naruto was young, fit boy who was always smiling. They were both 18 as of two weeks ago.

"How's your job going?" Naruto asked as he propped himself up against a shop as Koto browsed the fruits.

"It's fine. I haven't gotten the summon for the Cherry Blossom Festival yet though." Koto said sadly.

"I'm sure they'll call for you. You always sing; since we were 14." Naruto said.

"Yeah but still… this IS the first time it's been late. Face it, Naruto, I'm old news." Koto said.

"No one could ever get tired of you! You're the best singer in the whole village!"

"You're comparing me to like 200 people Naruto…"

"That's still a lot!"

"Compared to the world it's not. I'm happy for the fame I have but… I always thought I'd be bigger than I am." Koto let out a sigh.

Naruto ushered her to the middle of the stone path that was already filled with people.

"Hey everyone! Koto is going to sing for us! LIVE!" Naruto shouted at the top of his lungs.

Everything seemed to stop and all eyes fell on Koto. She scrabbled her mind for a song as she stood there in her simple yukata. It matched her cousin's almost exactly. Only hers was black while her cousin's was orange.

"Alright… first I need everyone to do this." Koto started to clap and soon everyone was doing it as well. Naruto grabbed a drum from one of the merchants and started to beat it.

"Detect my sudden existence on your sonar.

You feel the echo

Electrify the resistance in your broken heart.

And burn it up, oh

We're gonna photosynthesize and drink up the sunrise." Koto snag with a smile on her face and took a child by hand, spinning the child and making her laugh. Others crowded around her to dance too.

"So do they ever shut up because you said so or

Do you over think 'em all

Somebody ought to corrupt you on the dance floor and take you home.

Show you all the demons

Desires

And dark sides.

All our colonies and continental divides."

Koto took the hand of an elderly woman and as she sang the woman danced too. The woman's grandchild started to dance with her and a large smile spread over her wrinkled face.

"Let me uncover the silver in your dark hair

The weight of your bones.

I want to witness the beauty of your repair

The shape you've grown.

For you are made of nebulas and novas and night sky.

You're made of the memories you bury and live by."

As the bright girl sang she made everyone happy and they all cheered and smiled as she sang. But in all the focus she was getting, someone else was being ignored.

The king of the land, Sasuke Uchiha, was riding in his carriage, out to greet all his subjects. What he saw was unexpected. For several yards no one was within site until he finally heard the cheers and laughter. He ordered his men to follow the noise. He was angered by his people. No one noticed him at all and he was the king. THEIR king. He who gave them everything and ruled with an iron, yet caring fist.

He stepped out of the carriage and stopped. His face was in awe as if a ghost had run in front of his eyes. But this was no ghost. This was reality and beautiful one at that. A creature with a voice as beautiful as a nightingale stood in the middle of the crowd and like an angel she was glowing before his eyes.

Not only a lovely voice but a lovely face and body to accompany it. Sasuke made his mind up.

Once Koto had finished her ballot everyone slowly fled the crowd to carry on with their days and Naruto returned the drum.

"See? Who was right?" Naruto nudged her with his elbow. "Come on, C'mon. Who was right?" He grinned at her.

She pushed him off her but couldn't help but smile.

"You were." She said.

"They all loved you. Big or small numbers I know you just love to make people happy."

"You're right. You always are, after all. You know me better than anyone. And because you did that to me you-."

"I have to be punished." Naruto bowed and swung his arm back. "What will be my price this time, of song birdie one?"

They both laughed.

"Haha, you have to carry the groceries."

Naruto stood and Koto shoved the stuff into his arms. He chuckled and followed her down the street when they were stopped by the royal guard.

"Uh… may I help you?" Naruto asked.

"Actually yes. The king asked us to ask you how much you want for this girl." One of the decorated officers said. He had spiky white hair and you could only see one of his eyes.

At this Koto hid behind her cousin.

"How much I want…? No! Koto is not for sale!" Naruto hollered.

"Look, boy, we can either do this the easy way or the hard way. Your call, little man." The guard stepped closer.

"Maybe I wasn't clear before. She's… not… for… sale." Naruto repeated slowly.

"NARUTO!" Koto screamed as the other one picked her up and held her tight.

"Ko!" Naruto dropped the bags to grab her.

"Hard way it is." The guard slammed his fist into Naruto's face and he stumbled back.

"No! Someone! Help!" Koto cried.

"No one will go against the king's orders, girly!" The one holding her said. Koto shot her head into his chin and he fell back. She tackled the white haired one down before he could hurt Naruto anymore and they crashed into a music hut. She grabbed a metal gong and smashed it over his head before running to her cousin's side. His nose was bruised and bleeding and she didn't know what to do.

A hand grasped her shoulder and she swung around, striking the individuals cheek with her fist. She gasped and froze with fear. The king himself stood over her with wide eyes and his bruised cheek exposed to her. Her bottom lip started to tremble, trying to find words for her crime. The words to apologize. All eyes fell on her but not the happy ones they used to be.

"You pack quite a punch." He said and looked to her.

The king was a young and beautiful man with cold eyes. The eyes of a dragon, Koto thought.

Sasuke snapped his fingers the a few more guards scrambled to grab her and her cousin. Others went to help the white haired one. Naruto looked at the kind with a glare on his face.

"I'm taking this girl with or without your consent. Now I can pay you or you can fight and die." Sasuke said. Koto gasped.

"Like I'll ever do such a-!"

"Take the money." Koto cut Naruto off. All eyes fell on her.

"Take… the money." She repeated. Her eyes were serious as the emeralds stabbed Naruto in the heart.

"Ko… no…" Naruto could barely speak.

"Do it for me. I couldn't live with myself if you died over me. You have a bright future, Naruto. Think of Hinata and your dojo. All the kids that want to look up to you as we did to Father Iruka. Please… I'll be alright." A smile spread across her face and Naruto couldn't find anything to say.

The guards let her back on the ground and Naruto fell to his knees in the street. Sasuke tossed a large sack of money on the ground in front of him as he stared at the ground, dumb struck and hurt.

"You'll be alive. That's all I need to go on. Promise me you'll live for me." Koto said. She was still smiling but there were tears in her eyes. Naruto nodded and looked at her.

"I love you Koto. You'll always be my family." He said.

"I love you too!..." The tears fell down her cheeks as she was pushed into the carriage. As it drove away it suddenly began to rain. Naruto stared at the bag and before he knew it he was crying as hard as the sky was.

Koto watched from the window and it wasn't long until her hair was soaked. Sasuke grabbed her arm and lightly pulled her inside.

"You'll catch your death like that, my dear." He pulled her close and put his arm around her shoulders as he closed and locked the window.

"What are you going to do to me?" She asked without looking up.

"Well you're my little Nightingale now. You'll sing whenever I command and do as I command." Sasuke lifted her chin.

"Now give me a kiss." He ordered and moved closer.

Koto slapped him across the face, hitting the same cheek as before and jumped to the other side of the carriage. Sasuke chucked as she glared. He rubbed his cheek as he eyed her.

"You'll come around. One way or another." He said with a smirk. Koto backed as far away as possible, curling up in a corner and hiding her face in her arms. Once at the palace Koto was dragged to her "room" while Sasuke left to do some work.

She was thrown into a bedroom with a large bed and a dresser. The fact nothing else was in there made her uneasy. She walked over to a window and tried to open it but it was locked. She grabbed a lamp on the dresser and threw it at the window. Neither of them broke but she didn't give up. She continued to try to break the window, even though it was 3 stories high, she could figure something out once she got the window open.

After about 20 minutes the guard from the streets opened her door. He grabbed her arm and the lamp and threw her onto her bed.

"You haven't even been here for an hour and you're trying to get away? This is a nice palace, no one will treat you badly and you'll have a nice life here. And do you honestly think we couldn't find you? I know you'd go back to that boy and he and you would be killed." The guard said.

"What if I were to just run away? How could you know I went to Naruto?" She asked.

"We would go to him first. Whether you were there or not he would die. You told him to take the money to save his life and running away would only get him killed. You have no say in this, you will always stay here or I will personally kill that blonde brat."

With that the guard left, taking the lamp with him. She curled up in her bed, pulling her legs in and hugging herself. The soft bed sank deep and made the perfect nest for her self-pity. She couldn't do anything regarding her freedom without endangering her family. They had already won and there was hardly even any fight.

When something is bought they are taken from the owner but the value is replaced with money. But as the merchandise Koto just felt… stolen. She was taken from Naruto and her freedom was stolen from her. Sell and Buy are give and take and most of the time is equivalent. But there was nothing equivalent in this because Sasuke was the only one gaining anything.


	2. Chapter 2

Sasuke placed a gentle kiss upon her head as he lifted his naked body from her bed. Running his hands down her naked back, he was pleased with her condition. She had passed out near the end of their night together; her body still glistening in sweat in the light that shined through her window.

"I'll send someone to bathe you and bring you new clothes." He said to her. He smirked down at the torn up kimono on the floor. She had put up a fair fight.  
>She opened her eyes slowly but didn't dare move out of fear Sasuke would grab her again if he knew she was awake.<p>

Sasuke took a robe and left her room, locking it from the outside.

All Koto could do was lie there. Her steady breathing hicked as she began to cry into the pillow her face had been buried in the night before.

She hated the soft bed.

She hated the small window.

She hated the palace.

She hated him.

Before a servant could make it to her room Koto had a guard escort her to the bathing rooms. She left him watch as she washed herself but she knew he wouldn't dare touch her.  
>Once done with that she ran into the maid who was to bring new clothes. She thanked the woman and took the folded clothes and left for her room again without another word.<p>

Koto put on as much as she could without feeling pain and curled back up into bed. She wasn't able to put on much. Just a robe that hung loses around her small body.

There was a knock upon her door. It was nervous and small. A young man, maybe 17, stepped inside with a tray of food. He wore large glasses and had short blue hair that was as spiky as his teeth.

"Hello? I-um- I brought you some food as ordered."

Koto didn't say anything.

"Are you asleep?" the boy asked and stepped closer.

When Koto moved it startled him but all she did was shake her head no.

"Um.. Well.. The king wants you to see him in his throne room once you've finished eating. He said to dress nice." The boy placed the food on the bed away from her so when she moved the tray didn't fall over.

Koto finally spoke.

"What for?"

"He wants you to sing for him."

This angered her. Sing? Sing?! After what he had done to her he had the meatballs to ask her to sing?! No. Not ask. Asking implies she has the right as a person to say no. But she wasn't a person to him.

"Tell the king he can go fuck himself because I'm not going." Koto said.

Her anger startled the boy. He didn't think she was angry at all.

"No? No one tells the king no!"

Koto shot up, a quick vision of fabrics and blankets to reveal a goddess of angry and fire.

"No one tells him "no" only because he doesn't listen! He is a spoiled rich piece of scum who takes what he wants when he wants it but I will not give him this!" She shouted.

"..Did he take you?" the boy asked.

The goddess of fire curled in herself and turned into one of rain.

The boy didn't need an answer. He left the food and left the room.

"I'll tell him." He whispered and locked the door behind him.

Not long after Koto could hear stomps headed toward her room. She jumped up, pushing her body against the wooden door. As the lock clicked she was almost thrown to the bed by the door if not for her braising herself first.

"Open this door!" Sasuke bellowed with rage.

Koto only pushed against it harder. She prayed he would stop pushing and let her be but he didn't. His rage fueled the strength of ten men and as the door flung open she was thrown to the floor.

Even if she wasn't going to show it Koto was in fact afraid of King Sasuke.  
>She looked at him over her shoulder as she lay on her stomach. Bright red eyes glared down on her fragile body. When his eyes met the bruises on her legs and back and he let out a chuckle that scared her more than before.<p>

To her surprise they were completely alone.

"Go fuck myself, eh? I'm spoiled, am I?" He grabbed her by her hair and lifted her up and shoved her to the bed. She sat against it on the floor.

"You think you can get away with talking that way about me?!"

Koto said nothing and did nothing. She refused to look at him and did her best to ignore him. As obvious as the fear was she did her best to hide it.

This angered Sasuke even more. Before he could grab her, as she curled into a ball to protect herself, another presence joined the room.

Sasuke's hand was caught by another.

"Enough. If you're going to abuse your toys you shouldn't have any." This man's voice was cold and true.

Sasuke whipped his head around to meet his older brother.

King Itachi of the North.

No words were exchanged but glares where throne like knives. All of Sasuke's glares however were simply trapped in ice.

"Abuse? I do not abuse! She disrespected me so I am teaching her a lesson!"

"Look at her, Sasuke. You've broken her enough."

This time Sasuke did look at her. The real her. He didn't see a strong willed angel but a song bird with a broken wing. And it was trembling and curling into the blankets, crawling at them like the blankets could save her. The fear... Terror.. In her eyes was not what Sasuke wanted. He wanted that sweet song bird with the shining eyes he had seen in the market.

Sasuke ripped his hand away from his brother and left the room. Itachi stood right and watched as he brother fled the scene.

Koto finally started to breath. She had been holding her breath since Itachi wanted in. It came out in pants and even though Sasuke was gone she was still trembling.

Itachi looked at her as she stared at the door. She was afraid he'd turn around any moment and come back to scream some more.

Itachi knelt down a few feet away, approaching her carefully.

"He is gone now. You can come out from your hiding place." He said softly.

Koto didn't move.

Itachi held his hand out for her. They were big.

"Sasuke has always had a temper." Itachi spoke.

"Don't... Try to defend him.." Koto said.

"Ah. She speaks. But I wasn't. I was merely stating a fact. You are the first one to stand up to him. I can only imagine what he would have done if you had those things to his face."

Koto didn't want to imagine.

"When I heard word that Sasuke had bought a new pet named Koto I honestly thought you'd be a boy. Koto isn't commonly a girl's name."

"I know that.." Koto said.

"That's why I'm here now. The idea Sasuke had started to take interest in a man baffled me and I had to see you for myself. I was shocked at your beauty so I stopped him before he could bruise your skin even more." Itachi poked beneath a bruise on her calf.  
>Koto instantly pulled her legs in.<p>

"I have stopped him from abusing many people in the past but.." Itachi trailed off. Not sure if he wanted to tell her.

"But?" she asked.

"I saw regret. In his eyes. He didn't like how afraid of him you were. Most of the time he doesn't care." Itachi stood. "Up." He said softly.  
>Koto hesitantly stood.<p>

"See? You are a good girl. Just show that to Sasuke a little more."

"Why would I do that?" Koto asked.

"At the very least you'd be good to give your body time to heal." Itachi said.

He turned to leave.

"Thank you.. For stopping him.." Koto said. Itachi smiled at her and closed the door and locked it.

Koto didn't see Sasuke for a few days after she met Itachi. One day, the boy with the blue hair came back to her room with some cake. This made Koto smile and the boy was pleased to see her that way.

"What kind of cake is it?" Koto asked as she sat up and took the fork.

"Chocolate." He said. Koto ate it slowly, only taking a few bites before the boy spoke.

"The king wants to see you.." he spoke shyly, he was afraid to see the goddess of fire as he did before. Koto was quiet as she chewed and thought. Sasuke hadn't seen her in a long time, almost a week.

Maybe he wanted to apologize for the way he had scared her.

Koto swallowed.

"I'll see him." She said.

The boy bowed and left to tell Sasuke the good news. Koto slipped her robe off and looked through the dresser. She found a navy blue kimono covered in little red and white fans. She tossed it aside. She refused to wear the Uchiha family crest, the idea of something that symbolized that tyrant against her skin made her blood boil. She looked at each kimono and found each one had the crest on it somewhere. Whether is was the actual design or just a simple mark on the sleeve, the crest was there.

She growled and sighed.

She lifted a kimono with the top half red and the bottom white. A red obi with a little chain of the crests resting next to it in the dresser. She gave in and wrapped it around her. She took her fingers through her hair and inspected her face in a small mirror to make sure no chocolate remained.

The boy came back not long after with two guards.

"He'll see you now." He said. The four of them were silent as they walked through halls and down stairs. Koto watched the walls, trying to find landmarks and memorize the paths.  
>She was taken to a large pair of doors that were carved with lions and dragons, their evil snarls captured within the wood.<p>

The doors were pushed open and Koto saw Sasuke alone in a throne at the end of a long room.

The curtains where drawn, only candles illuminated the large room, giving it a slight glow.

The guards pushed Koto inside and the doors shut. She tried to stop it, scratching at them slightly. She jumped against the wood when she heard Sasuke shift in the chair.

"Come here."

Koto gulped and held her breath as she approached his chair. She stood at the end of the steps that lead to his throne.

Sasuke looked at her and was pleased with her outfit but over the past few days Sasuke was ashamed of himself. He had sat alone and tried to think of what he had done. Now he was sure she was better and he wanted to hear something to cheer him up.

"Sing."

"um.. Any requests?" Koto asked.

Sasuke looked past his messy hair, he had his head resting on his hand. He seemed annoyed but not at her.

"I do not care. Just sing." He almost snapped.

Koto stood there, scrambling her mind for something. She cleared her throat and closed her eyes.

Sasuke watched her closely. Her posture changed and her head was held high. Her aura gave off love and passion and it hit him like a soft wave. He felt his heart jump as she began.

"I'm just a little bit caught in the middle.  
>Life is a maze and love is a riddle.<br>I don't know where to go, can't do it alone.  
>I've tried.<br>And I don't know why.  
>Slow it down.<br>Make it stop.  
>Or else my heart is gonna pop.<br>Cause it's too much. Yea it's a lot.  
>To be something I'm not.<br>I'm a fool out of love, and I just can't get enough. "

As the song went on Koto began to smile. The way her eyes sparkled and her eyes gleamed. Sasuke was amazed.

Sasuke stood, quickly moving to where she once stood. He grabbed her cheeks, cutting her song off and stared into her eyes. Koto stared at him in shock and when the sparkles died Sasuke released her.

"You can go.." he said and turned his back to her. He raked his fingers through his hair as Koto walked away.

Sasuke didn't want to be mean to her but he didn't fucking understand!

She sings and he feels things he never knew. He wants to know her and why she sings. He craves to see her smile and he wants to know what her laugh is like. This pissed Sasuke off. He was confused and it was stressful. It made him want to force her to stay at his side until she smiles again but he knew... She would be afraid.

Koto didn't see a guard anywhere or the boy who always took care of her needs. Koto wondered around the palace, admiring the marvelous art work and traditional designs. She found herself on a long deck that over looked a cherry blossom orchard. She smiled as the wind blew and the petals fell. She later found a rock garden. Koto swung her leg over the railing and hopped onto a large rock in the middle of the garden. She hopped from rock to rock, giggling happily as she had her fun. It was a challenge. Her and Naruto would play this game and whoever lost had to buy the winner a ramen.  
>Koto was naturally more balanced but every now and again she had to buy a ramen for Naruto.<br>Koto sat down on a rather large rock and started to cry. She swore she heard Naruto's deep but happy laugh as she hopped around.

Itachi stood on the red deck and watched her happiness fade away as she became a little ball of sadness upon a rock. It was Itachi who had chuckled at the site of her. He thought she was the cutest thing... Like a small dog.

Koto stopped crying and stood. She hopped from rock to rock, not looking up until she was a bit closer to the deck.

"Ita-Itachi?!" Koto slipped on the rock. Itachi bolted to save her, reaching over the deck, his hand grasped her obi and pulled her to the deck. Koto swung her leg over and sighed in relief.

"Are you okay?" Itachi asked and made sure she wasn't hurt.

"Um.. My ankle is hurt but other than that Im okay.."

Itachi lifted Koto off her feet and held her princess style.

"Hey?!"  
>"Sh. You can't walk on it if its sprained or twisted." Itachi said sternly.<p>

Koto kept quiet as Itachi carried her to the palace doctor.

The doctor wrapped Koto's ankle in bandages.

"Its not very bad. You should be able to walk on it again tomorrow but Id keep it wrapped up for the support." He told her.

"Thank you sir.." Koto said softly.

Itachi reached out to help her and Koto hovelled out on one leg as she held his arm.

Once back at the main rooms of the palace Itachi knelt down to allow her on his back. She got on and rather enjoyed the piggy back ride.

"You're pretty tough. You're not even whimpering." Itachi complimented.

"Thank you, Lord Uchiha." Koto said.

"Koto please call me Itachi. You're on my back for god's sake." Itachi said as she carried her up the stairs.

Koto liked how warm Lord Uch- Itachi was..

She rested her forehead between his shoulder blades and imagined it was Naruto. Koto had actually broken her leg once and he carried her 3 miles to the nearest hospital.  
>Itachi felt something wet on his back and he knew she was crying again.<br>Itachi dropped her down on her bed and turned to see her laying there with the big sleeves of her Kimono shielding her puffy cheeks and teary eyes.

"I'm sorry..." she whimpered. Itachi left her to cry.

A few minutes after Sasuke appeared by her bed. He watched her cry from under the comforter silently. He then crawled on top of her, wrapping his arms around her and held her tight. She reached through the covers and pulled him tight, allowing his cloak to soak her tears. Sasuke stroked her hair soothingly.

She looked up at him and we surprised when it wasn't Itachi but she liked Sasuke's warmth too so she let him hold her.

Sasuke felt bad about separating the two of them but not bad enough to reunite them. Sooner or later her tears would stop.

Until that day Sasuke promised to keep her close.. So he could always be there to dry her tears.  
>Itachi watched them from her door way. He smiled to himself and left them alone.<p> 


End file.
